31 Plays in 31 Days, #18 - "Strong One"

[breakinglight11]

This scene needs something. I want it to represent Nathaniel stepping up after grappling with his trauma and his lost nerve, as well as making a connection with Violet, in that she's an alcoholic, something he previously had a lot of scorn for, as he's feeling guilty for his own recent troubles with alcohol. But the circumstances are so urgent and they have such pressing life-and-death concerns I feel like all that gets pushed to the side. Not sure how to fix it yet.



Day #18 - "Strong One"
From Mrs. Hawking VI
By Phoebe Roberts
~~~

London, England, 1888

NATHANIEL HAWKING, Mrs. Hawking's gentleman nephew and assistant, mid thirties
VIOLET STRALLAN, a Whitechapel nurse, late twenties
~~~

(The streets of Whitechapel. VIOLET stumbles in, drunk and afraid. NATHANIEL enters and spots her.)

NATHANIEL:

Miss Strallan? Oh, thank God!

VIOLET:

Mr. Hawking? Oh, no, what are you doing?

NATHANIEL:

Looking for you! We’ve been out all yesterday and half the night.

VIOLET:

You can’t be here! He’s coming after me— he’ll find me!

NATHANIEL:

You must come with me.

VIOLET:

Don’t you see? He’s knows you’re after him! You’ll lead him right to me!

NATHANIEL:

It’s all right, we’ll protect you.

VIOLET:

Like you did Mary Jane?

NATHANIEL:

Mary Jane is why we’re here. So we shan’t let it happen again!

VIOLET:

She was the strong one! So much stronger than me. If she couldn’t escape him, what chance do I have?

NATHANIEL:

You must be the strong one now— for Mary Jane, and for the others. And you don’t have to do it alone. Now, please, will you trust me? We must go!

(NATHANIEL spots a masked figure lurking. He pulls VIOLET behind him as the man lunges for her.)